Muggle Nature
by irvken
Summary: Neville is the boy-who-lived. Harry, living a normal happy childhood, befriends a muggle and with his gang of misfit half-bloods and muggle-borns begins to realise that the wizarding world is really behind the muggle one and open for exploitation. Criminal!Harry
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Never written a fanfic before, been lurking on this site for a couple of months but now let's try it! This was kinda inspired by esama's Business on A03, which you should read it's awesome! Anyway, i don't know if any one will actually read it, still not sure how _that_ works as i've never read a brand new fanfic with not reviews or favourites, but obviously it happens. But i digress, hopefully some one is reading, Harry will be dark, though he's more just of muggle attitudes, than like dark lord evil. Remember how they said that video games and TV was turning kids violent? Well harry's had all those muggle influences and now he's going onto the wizard world.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter, nor am i making any money. Although i wonder if JKR does writefanfiction? you would right? ust to do all the stuff that you've kinda wondered about or something you thought would be funny, because you obviously couldn't put it in the real book cause it would ruin the plot. Just a thought...**

 **Still with me? (maybe) onwards!**

Prologue

The War had ended. There were parties of witches and wizards dancing in the streets, hundreds of owls darting over Britain to deliver the news and even some impromptu shooting stars, to the bafflement of the muggle astronomers, by some enthusiastic wizard in Kent. Death Eaters were frantic, pulling massive political favours and draining their Gringotts accounts with barley a wince with the single minded determinedness to stay out of azkaban. Those without such wealth and influence simply fled. It was pandemonium as wizards were hugging strangers in the street, most in hysterics with tears running down their cheeks with either overwhelming joy or horror for the events of the past, was anyone's guess. Most thought the emotion was just a resounding outburst of relief from the constant oppression and fear from the war. Yet in their celebrations no one grieved for a boy with a lighting bolt cut inflamed and bleeding. He lay in a ruined house with his mother and father lying dead before him and the last of the infamous Dark Lord Voldemort's disintegrated body flaking away. Not even Lily Potter, who upon reading the letter sent by Dumbledore of the Dark Lord's defeat, called out to her husband and laughed happy tears at their release from hiding. No, no one grieved for Neville Longbottom who would always be marked as the boy-who-lived.

Chapter 1: A Telly-What?

"James!" Lilly called from the kitchen door where she was watching James and Sirius teach her son David to zoom about on his new training broom, while her youngest, Rose, danced around the garden picking flowers to show her mother. James, Sirius and David trooped in with Rose skipping behind them, they all looked sheepishly at Lily suspecting that she was she angry for the dangerous loops David at been attempting on his new broom. "Look Mummy!" Rose beamed presenting the tangle of flowers and weeds to Lily who smiled and conjured a jug of water to place them in, "David Honey, take Rose upstairs, your father and I need to talk". Grinning at being let of the hook, David grabbed his younger sister's hand and pulled her upstairs, teasing her good naturedly as he went.

"Lily, I-"

James began, before Lily cut him off saying "James, we have to talk about Harry. Sirius it might be best if you stay too, your his godfather and Harry looks up to you." Perplexed, the two friends sat down at the kitchen table and James started, "Lily what's wrong? Is Harry okay?".

Lily glanced at her husband and sighed, "Harry's fine, I'm Just concerned he's spending too much time with muggles, he's always in the village or at that girl's house. Whenever we invite the Wealsey's round it's always Daniel who plays with Ron, despite Daniel being a year younger than him. Wouldn't it be better for Harry to have some wizarding friends?"

"Lily!" Sirius said with alarm, "Muggle's are perfectly acceptable friends. This is why we fought the war to stop such prejudices!"

"It's not that I want Harry to hate muggles!" Lily amened, "But Harry is only eight! What if he tells someone about magic? You can't expect an eight year old to hold up the Statue of Secrecy!"

At that moment the door opened and Harry stepped into the house and paused at the three adults at the table. "Harry sit down" James said. Harry sat down at the table with trepidation, he didn't like the way the adults were looking at him. With a glance to his wife, James sighed, "Harry, your mother and I are a little worried your spending too much time in village. Wouldn't you rather visit the Burrow once in a while? I know Ginny has been asking about you."

Harry paused, "But Lucy lives in the village and she's my best friend. And… and I don't _like_ the Burrow, Ron only ever wants to talk about quidditch and there are gnomes in the garden and Ginny's _annoying!"_

The adults paused, surprised by the outburst. Then Sirius rounded on Lily and said, "See! I don't see it as that of a big deal, _I_ was interested in muggles as a teenager and I'm sure Harry will make lots of wizarding friends at Hogwarts, won't you Pup?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically and Lily sighed, "Okay Harry, but you know you can't ever tell anyone, that you can do magic? That has to stay at secret okay?"

Harry looked confused and whined "Why not? Your mum and dad knew about magic and they were muggles."

"Yes, Harry, that's true" Lily said, "But they were my family, you can tell your family, but no one else okay?"

Harry slumped in his chair but nodded. Lily sent him upstairs and sighed, James reached across the table and took her hand, "Don't worry, love" he said, "Harry is smart and I'm sure this muggle thing is just a phase."

Lily bowed her and shared a concerned look with her husband, "But what if it's not James?" she asked, "What if he doesn't make any friends because he's too wrapped up with muggles?"

James looked into his wife's eyes and said, "It's not like we can stop him."

* * *

Three Years Later

Harry was lying with his back on the sofa his feet on the headrest as his head dangled of the seat and he watch taz-mania on the television upside down. He felt a finger poke his side and before he knew it he was under attack from a savage tickling. Caught between laughter and tears the two children rolled unto the floor, gasping and grinning wildly at each other. The attacker, a tiny fierce little girl with cropped blonde hair, glared at him.

"I can't believe your going to boarding school!"

"Believe me Lucy, I'd rather stay here and watch cartoons with you."

The girl's narrowed, "Then why don't you? I could hide you in my room and fake a kidnapping."she grinned evilly, "Or I could just do a real kidnapping."

"Pft like anyone could kidnap me, I got ninja skills" Harry scoffed. Then he seemed to deflate and collapsed on the sofa, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Hey," Lucy's voice softened, "I'll call, every day, and you can tell me all about your posh boarding school."

"Nah" Harry sighed, "no phones, you'll have to write."

"Write!" Lucy exclaimed, "What are we in the dark ages? And who doesn't have a phone? Never mind, stupid rich kids rules, I'll just get you a mobile, guess I'll have to nick mum's new boyfriend's. Don't worry he'll be gone in a couple weeks anyway."

"Won't work, no signal." Harry explained with a wince, he hated lying to his friend.

"We'll you'll have to break into a teacher's office and use their land line Harry! I can't not hear your voice for months, your my best friend!"

When Harry shook his head, Lucy's face crumpled, "I-I'm going to miss you Harry… I-I thought we were best friends, but if you don't want me at your fancy new school..."

Harry couldn't bear seeing his best friend, his partner in crime looking like that, and, knowing it was a bad idea, pulled a crumpled piece of parchment from his back pocket. Sitting cross legged on the sofa and drawing Lucy across from him, he asked her, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course I can Harry." Lucy said warily, the fact that Harry had asked rather than simply assuming as Harry and Lucy always kept secrets for each other suggested that this one was Big, even bigger than when Lucy told Harry that her mum was having an affair with the guy from the village corner shop. Harry bit his lip and quickly, like he wanted to get it over with, gave Lucy a weird scratchy piece of paper, written in odd green ink, she read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Mr Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Lucy looked shocked and glanced at her friend who looked deadly serious back at her, "Harry?" she asked, her voice a little higher than usual. Harry looked down and worried at his lip. "This… this is a joke right? You can't really be going to… to this school?"

Harry sighed, "I know it seems kinda unbelievable, but it's true alright? That's why you've never been round my house okay? My parents are magical and they don't like that I'm spending time non-magical people. Or they think I'm going to go round telling everyone about magic. Which I suppose I have..." Harry trailed off guilty.

"But, Harry come on! Magic isn't rea-" she paused at Harry's genuine worry. "Okay, show me some magic!"

"What?" Harry stammered, startled. "But...But I can't do any magic! It's illegal for anyone under-age to do magic outside of school! And anyway I don't know any magic. What do you think the school is for?"

Lucy glared, "Harry, do you honestly think I'm going to believe that you are going to a boarding for posh kids to… to turn people into frogs and… and pull rabbits out of hats if I've yet to see any real magic?" she asked incredulously.

Harry could admit that she did have a point. Then exclaimed, "You have seen magic! Remember when that guy knocked you over in tesco and one minute he was yelling at us, the next he was locked in the freezer with the pizza's?"

Lucy gaped, "You did that? It was such a small freezer that he broke both his legs! The manger had to call the firemen!"

"We'll not intentionally. It's called accidental magic, and he was fine wasn't he? He barley has a limp now!" Harry replied, "Or when your dog fell off that bridge and floated back up again? Or when we saw my brother in the park and he called you names and all his hair fell out?"

Lucy looked at the boy, no, _wizard,_ before her and whispered, "Harry, your going of to learn spells and real magic? Why didn't you tell me before!" Harry winced, he really didn't like keeping things from his best friend.

"Well, it's not aloud, it's _illegal_ to tell people who can't do magic about wizards. I just broke, like, the biggest wizarding law telling you about it."

"Oh" Lucy pondered this for a moment. "Well I'm not going to tell anyone, I wouldn't want to get you in trouble. And," she said with a roll of her eyes, "It's not like we haven't broken a law before."

Harry grinned, "This one's a bit bigger than stealing from the corner shop, Lucy"

"Not really," Lucy mused, "We stole from the shop to get back at that guy that mum had an affair with, so we broke the law for a good reason. You broke this one for a good reason too."

Harry smiled sadly, the man who Lucy's mum had an affair with had gone on to tell Lucy's dad about it. Lucy's dad had left and now she never saw him and had to deal with her mum's new nasty 'boyfriends'. The pair had delighted too see the man panic when he opened up shop to be greeted with an empty room. Everything had been taken, not just all the stock. The shelves had been taken down, the till gone, and the counters removed. It had taken a pair extensive planning and a few sympathetic teenagers who were paid in the contents of the shop to help with the heavy lifting, but they had managed it. The man at the corner shop deserved far worse. Then Lucy smiled, and the sadness evaporated with Lucy's manic grin. "So, why don't you tell me everything about magic? And what the hell do they mean 'we await your owl'?"

* * *

Harry stood at platform 9 ¾ beside his trunk, a vicious-looking brown owl named Indiana Jones, his tearful parents and sulking siblings.

"Bye Harry, remember to write" Lily said, hugging her son.

"Pull some good pranks son," James smiled, then coughed after a sharp glance from his wife, "I mean get good grades"

With a kiss from his parents, and grudging hugs from from his siblings, Harry dragged his trunk onto the train. Seeing a carriage with a skinny dark skinned boy inside, Harry dragged his trunk in and greeted him with a smile. "Sorry, I can't be bothered to drag this bloody thing any further and you've the most empty carriage I've seen so far. Can I sit here?"

"Er, sure" the kid smiled, "I'm Dean Thomas"

"Harry Potter"

Harry put his trunk away, and rounded on Dean, "So, looking forward to Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Dean breathed relieved that Harry had thought of something to say. "I'm bit worried though, I just found out about magic you see, I don't want to be behind."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said, "Loads of people are in your position, so do you like football then?"

Harry and Dean were in an animated discussion about Man U's chance's this year when a boy with sandy hair burst into the carriage and slammed the door behind him.

"Where's the fire?" Harry joked.

The sandy haired boy flushed, "Sorry, trying to avoid some idiot I bumped into at Diagon Alley. Doesn't like half-bloods. Oh bloody hell, looks like he's coming in here!" The boy backed away worriedly as a boy with white blond hair and rather pinched features barged into the carriage, flanked by two large goons on either side of him.

"I heard a rumour that Neville Longbottom was on the train. You haven't seen him, have you?" the blonde drawled arrogantly. The boys shook their heads. The blonde's eyes appraised them, until they landed on Harry.

"Oh, messy hair, glasses, associating with filth", this was punctuated with a sharp glare at the sandy haired boy who grimaced. "You must be a Potter."

Harry glared at him, the boy was arrogant and rude, Harry disliked him instantly. "Let's see shall we, your blonde, you see to think the whole world belongs to you, yet you seem to need body guards to fight your battles for you. That kind of narcissism and arrogance coupled with cowardice and insecurity tells me that you" Harry grinned tauntingly, "are a Malfloy."

Malfoy flushed angrily, "My is family is powerful potter! And we aren't contaminated with mudbloods and scum"

Harry just turned back to the other who were staring at him with open awe and astonishment.

"Get out Malfoy, you're embarrassing yourself"

"Yes, Prince Potter, Lord of the Mudbloods. Come, Crabbe, Goyle, we'll get the conductor in here, there is enough filth to fill a pig sty, it's a safety hazard"

With a sneer that the boys ignored, Malfoy swept from the compartment.

The was a moment of dead silence until the sandy haired boy whispered, "Wow, that guy is idiot."

The three boys laughed. The sandy haired boy introduced himself as Seamus Finnigan, and soon they were pulling up to Hogwarts. Harry stumbled out to the platform, were he was greeted by a huge man whose hands were the size of dust bin lids, who showed the children to boats to cross the lakes. Harry couldn't contain his gasp as he first caught sight of the looming castle and he was hastily hurried through the castle until he stood before the sorting hat and his name was called.

"Potter, Harry"

No one was much interested, their excitement had died down after Neville Longbottom, the-boy-who-lived was stored into Gryffindor. But as the hat settled onto his head, Harry felt a rising sense of trepidation. He really had no idea where he would go.

" _Hmm, interesting"_ The Hat murmured. It chuckled at Harry's rising sense of alarm. _"Don't worry child, I can not repeat anything I've seen inside a child's head."_

"Oh" Harry thought, "So you know about Lucy then?"

" _yes,"_ The Hat whispered _"But don't worry, I'm more concerned with were to sort you. You have a fine mind, no doubt about that. But you do not seek knowledge for knowledge's sake, but for leverage, for what it can do for you. You're cunning in that regard, better be_ SL-"

"NO!" Harry cried, and the hat paused.

" _no? Well that never happened before, I've never had a student interrupt my final verdict. You don't like Slytherin?"_

"My parents would kill me" Harry thought, "And I don't want to be in Slytherin! Everyone hates Slytherin, too many stereotypes, it would haunt me forever."

" _well are you sure?"_ The Hatter said confused, _"your ambitious, certainly smart and you have a streak of ruthlessness, you could be great you know."_

"Please?" Harry implored, "Not Slytherin?"

" _Well alright. Can't put you in Hufflepuff, you'll scare the badgers. I suppose behind your Slytherin traits are Gryffindor tendencies. Your ruthless and frighteningly practical, but these are born from a sense of protectiveness. Not so much noble, no, but your playful and love danger. Oh yes, you do not lack for bravery. Oh all right it'll be GRYFFINDOR."_

Harry plucked off the hat and ambled to his house table. Ignoring his house mates slightly perplexed looks as they could have sworn that the hat had been about to say Slytherin.

* * *

 **Anyone here? if you are then wow, please tell me what you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow people are reading! Thank you so much for the reviews, they give me warm fuzzy feelings :)  
**

 **Anyway so I'm going to rush fairly quickly through Harry's first 2 years, then he's going to get more criminal-y**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except Lucy i think, and not making any money.**

 **Hope I can do you guys proud, keep reading! :D**

Chapter two

Harry, Seamus and Dean skidded through the corridors. It had been two weeks since the sorting and they had yet to be on time for a morning lesson. They stumbled into Transfiguration and hurtled right into the path of a first year Slytherin with long brown hair and wide eyes as they fell to floor in a twist of limbs.

"Ow," Harry complained, getting to his feet. Blushing he offered his hand to fallen girl and hoisted her up, muttering apologies as Dean and Seamus bent to pick up her books. Sharing a small smile, the four entered Transfiguration where Professor McGonagall reprimanded them for their tardiness. They spend the lesson attempting to turn a matchstick into a needle. Harry turned at the sound of frustration from the Slytherin girl who was holding up a sliver coloured, but still wooden, matchstick.

"Er, would you like to look at mine?" Harry offered, holding up his perfect needle. The girl reluctantly nodded and took the needle, after examining it a moment, she turned to Harry, "How did you get the properties to change? I visualised the needle, but it won't turn into metal" she grumbled with a soft pout. Harry found himself grinning at the girl, she reminded him a little of Lucy. He quickly launched into an explanation. "See, visualising only gets you so far. You have to _want_ the match to become a needle, but you have to focus not only on the image of a needle, but the substance of the needle as well." Harry explained, drawing his text book over and pointing at the relevant paragraph. "You got the visualisation down, after that you can focus on specific things, like making a pattern on the needle. But first you need to will the wood to become metal, not just look like it." The girl looked at him for a moment, brought up the needle again. Then with an experimental flick, turned her matchstick into a needle. McGonagall walked past and stopped at their table, "5 points to Slytherin, Miss Davis." and then with a pause added, "And 10 points to Gryffindor, for a a show of inter house unity." The girl gave a small smile as McGonagall walked off. Harry turned to her and said, "I was wondering, if you ever wanted any help with transfiguration, maybe I could help you and you could give me a hand with potions?" The girl nodded enthusiastically and stuck out her hand. "I'm Tracy Davis"

Harry smiled and shook, "Harry Potter, why don't you come meet my friends?"

* * *

"I can't believe that git!" Harry raged furiously, kicking a plant pot in the green house and earning a sharp glare form Professor Sprout. Dean, Seamus and Tracy exchanged a look. "Er, Harry?" Tracy tried, "maybe it's best just to leave it?" Harry glared at her a she lowered her head.

"Look, mate" Seamus muttered, "I know your angry, and Snape a right git, I'm with you there. But… just don't do anything violent okay? You could get in a lot of trouble, he is a professor." The three knew that Harry was terrifying when angry. Malfloy had hexed Dean two weeks ago and Harry had absolutely flipped. Malfloy had ended up in the hospital wing after Harry petrified him and stamped on his face when he was down. That could have been okay, but he had then hidden him in an alcove with a broken nose in the dungeons and it had taken four hours for someone to find him, Malfoy was livid as it had given Harry ample time to create an alibi and as it was his word against Harry's, Harry hadn't gotten in trouble. The Slytherins, with the exception of Tracy who had become firm friends with the boys, were currently giving Harry a wide birth, wary of his volatile temper.

This did not seem to calm Harry who was pacing angrily, ranting, "You would have thought he'd be a fairer what with being Rose's godfather and all, but no! I could put up with him vanishing my potions, I could put up with him insulting my father but now he's attacking Tracy!"

Tracy ducked her head, pleased that Harry cared so much for her. "Harry, it's okay. I like helping you with potions, I don't mind if he marks me down a little-"

"No!" Harry stormed. The he sighed, his motions stopped abruptly, and he sagged clutching the table. "We'll, we can't let him get away with it can we?" He grinned mischievously at his friends and beckoned them closer, "I wasn't the son of a Marauder for nothing."

Later that night, Harry, Seamus and Dean were huddled under Harry's father invisibility cloak having dropped Tracy back at the Slytherin common room after returning from the potions classroom. The boys were giggling, trying to hush their laughter, less they get caught being out after curfew, delighting in the reaction to their potions lesson the next morning. As the boys turned a corner, hurrying to escape the disapproving eyes of the portraits who could hear their giggles, they came face to face with Misses Norris, the caretaker's cat. Somehow the cat could almost sense them under the cloak and starting mewing. The boys heard Filch's footsteps thundering around the corner. "Quick!" Harry hissed and the boys darted down a staircase, heaving a sigh of relief when it moved beneath them before Filch could reach them. Leaning against the banister, Dean looked around confusedly, "Where are we?"

"Er," Seamus replied, "I think we might be on the third floor." The boys paused until they each broke into a mischievous grin. "Well come on then!" commanded Harry, drawing himself up to his full height and grinning wildly, "Let's find out what's so dangerous!" A three headed dog turned out to be what was so dangerous. Yet somehow even in the face of danger, the boys could emerge by the portrait hole laughing, and with a renewed interest to discover exactly _what_ was hidden on the third floor.

* * *

To say Snape was furious was an understatement. No Snape was murderous. They were still laughing about it at the Gryffindor table at the Halloween feast, Tracy was sitting with them as she had been spending less and less time with the Slytherins as of late and would sleep in Gryffindor tower if the headmaster would allow it. Snape had stalked into the potions room that morning, with his usual flair, only to stop at the sight that greeted him. Everything was wrapped in newspaper. Everything. In _muggle_ newspaper. The desks, the cauldrons, the parchment and quills, it was tapped to the walls, the floor, the celling. The real shock had come when Snape opened the ingredients cupboard and saw that not only were the containers wrapped, but the ingredients. Separately. How someone could individually wrap about a million newt eyes was anyone's guess. Then Snape had attempted to magic away the newspaper. And nothing happened. He tried again. When he discovered they had been stuck with permanent sticking charms, he had lost it. Harry and his friends couldn't contain their laughter as Snape ranted and raved, eventually losing all control and throwing increasingly dark severing charms to no effect. The total cost of the loss of equipment and ingredients was 6,000 gallons and the classroom could never be used again.

They were still giggling when a distraught professor Quirrell charged into the room, warned about a troll and promptly fainted.

The boys dragged Tracy with them, "I don't know what Dumbledore is thinking," grumbled Harry, "why he is sending you to the dungeon common room when that's supposedly where the troll is..." Harry sighed, "no, come with us."

Seamus meanwhile just grinned, running excitedly beside them, "Maybe it's a plot to bump off all the Slytherins! Send 'em down to be eaten by a troll! Not you, Tracy, but wouldn't it be awesome for Malfoy to be eaten by a troll?" The friends exchanged grins, when all of a usdden Percy marched up to them, his chest pompously blown out, "First years! Why aren't you in the common room? And your a Slytherin, you should go to yours!" Harry was bout to launch into angry confrontation when Neville ran past them.

"Oi!" Harry called after him, "Where's he going?" Ignoring Percy's splutters, the friends ran in the direction Neville had gone only to be confronted by a large mountain troll where it stood before Neville, who was trembling, but standing, protecting the huddled form of Hermoine. Quickly Seamus darted behind the troll and began pelting it with bits of sink, trying to lure it's attention away form Neville and Hermione. Harry barked out "Dean, get Neville and Hermoine out of here, and quickly! Tracy, when I say go, I want you to trip it okay?" Instantly, his friends launched into action, as the troll's attention was diverted by Seamus, Dean hurried Neville and half dragged Hermoine out of the bathroom. Harry quickly turned to the sink and used a severing charm that he'd seen Snape use earlier that day to cut of length of pipe form underneath the sink. Turning, he yelled, "Seamus, run! Now Tracy!" Seamus leapt out of the way just in time as Tracy used a hex her father had taught her that conjured ropes that tangled in the trolls feet and brought him crashing downwards onto the floor. Acting while the troll was still dazed, Harry grabbed the length of pipe and sunk it with all his might into the back of the troll's head. There was a moment of silence while the children stood thrumming with adrenaline and relearning how to breathe when the professors burst in and started at the sight of an eleven year old, covered in blood, standing over the corpse of a fully grown mountain troll in a ruined girl's bathroom.

They had lost and gain fifty house points for their confrontation and earned themselves wary looks form the professors who didn't seem to know how to handle a blood soaked Harry who did not remotely seem shocked by what he had done. Indeed Harry and his friends returned excitedly to Gryffindor tower, still breathless and shaky, but regaling the fight with a troll, while Hermoine and Neville, still shock, trailed behind. Harry paused and lagged behind with Neville, he put a hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "You okay?"

Neville laughed bitterly and muttered, "I'm fine, you just beat a troll, and I would have gotten killed." he sighed "I-I'm not sure I belong in Gryffindor, I'm a coward." he looked dejectedly at the floor. "Maybe you should have been the boy-who-lived," he said half jokingly, but Harry could hear that Neville believed it.

Harry looked at him, and chewed his bottom lip. "You know," he said, "You are the bravest person I know. You stood down a mountain troll, by _yourself_ , to protect Hermione. I may have killed it, but that was a challenge, I had other people and I wanted to see if I could win. You faced it, even knowing that you might not survive, and you did it to protect someone your not even friends with. I just did it to pit myself something dangerous and prove that I could win. Neville, your more of a Gryffindor than I am." Harry smiled tiredly at the boy, "I think you should make friends with Hermoine, she doesn't have any and I know she could help you with classes, but I also think she love to have you as a friend. You'd be a good one Neville." And with that Harry left him, running to catch up with his friends, leaving Neville standing a little straighter and thinking, for the first time, that he could be a good Gryffindor.

* * *

Over the next few months Harry and his friends became increasingly restless, they didn't have trouble with their school work and Harry was adamant that there was a real life mystery happening at the school and demanded they be a part of it. This found Harry, Dean, Seamus and Tracy huddling under the invisibility cloak on the third floor waiting for the three headed dog to go to sleep.

"You sure it'll work?" asked Seamus doubtfully.

"Of course it will!" snapped Tracy, "I put enough sleeping potion in to knock out three people!" They waited until Harry slowly pushed the door open to see that the dog had eaten the raw steak they had gotten from the kitchens, and was, in fact, out cold.

"Come on!" Harry called excitedly, and together they pushed the dog's massive paws uncovering the trap door they had noticed during their first encounter with the dog. Without hesitation Harry pushed himself into the dark pit, Seamus following right behind him. They landed on a soft surface, thankfully. "Harry?" he heard Tracy call out, he was about to answer when he felt something curving around his waist. "er.." he muttered.

"Bloody hell! What is this stuff?" cried Seamus indignantly.

"Don't struggle!" Tracy snapped, as Seamus began to buck wildly against his restraints.

"Don't any of you pay attention in herbology?" Dean inquired. " _Lumos Solem!"_ Suddenly a narrow beam of blinding sunlight shot from his wand and the surface seem to recoil from underneath them. They crashed to the ground with yells and curses. Harry picked himself up, offered a hand to Tracy and grinned.

"Now, that wasn't so bad was it?" he beamed. "Let's go see what's next."

They passed a room full of flying keys, but due to James' enthusiasm Harry was a trained quitchtich player and could locate the right one, an animated chess game that Dean and Seamus won easily, another troll that Seamus dealt with by summoning one of the chess pieces to crash into the troll's skull and a logic puzzle involving potions which Dean and Tracy took great delight in solving.

"There's only enough for one..." Tracy said, examining the vial."Who's takes it?"

"I do." said Harry, plucking the vial from between Tracy's fingers and downing it in one. Suddenly Harry felt an icy cold sweeping through his veins. "whoa" he muttered, stumbling a little.

"You alright Harry?" asked Seamus worriedly, steadying the boy. "Wow, your skin is really cold."

"Obviously Seamus, it's lowered his body temperature. Go Harry, quickly through the flames!" Saluting his friends and winking Harry leapt through the flames and was confronted by a large empty room with a huge mirror at one end. Harry walked up to it, and briefly wondered what was next. Was he supposed to break the mirror? Or go through it? Harry was so lost in his pondering he almost didn't notice when his mirror image started to move but he did not. Harry started when he felt a heavy weight in his pocket and looked up to see his mirror self wink at him.

"Find anything Harry?" Dean asked as Harry strolled back through the the fire, his head bent examining a small red stone in his hands.

"Yeah, any idea what this is?" Harry asked, holding up the stone for inspection.

"Dunno," Seams shrugged. "Want to grab something from the kitchen?" They all agreed and wandered back, hoping that the three headed dog was still asleep.

* * *

They still hadn't figured out the mystery of the stone but they had sent it to Lucy who had put it in a muggle safety deposit box. The rest of the school year was relatively uneventful save Quirrell's sudden disappearance a month after they had received the stone and Dumbledore's increasingly worried appearance. Slytherin won the house cup but it was with light hearts that the friends travelled back to London, daring each other to eat the strange coloured bertie's botts every flavour beans and making plans to meet in summer. The Hogwarts Express pulled up at the station and Harry was greeted by his parents, Remus, Sirus and his siblings.

"Did you have a good year Harry?" asked Remus ruffling Harry's hair.

"Was it fun? I can't wait to go in September!" interrupted David, dancing around his brother and hanging of his godfather, Remus' arm.

"No fair!" wailed Rose, "why can't I go?"

"Soon, honey" Lily placated the child. "Did you make any friends, Harry?" she asked turning to Harry.

"Yeah." Harry smiled, "Can I invite them over this summer? Please?"

"Of course, Harry" Lily beamed, her eyes welling up with relief. Her husband shot her knowing glance that clearly stated, I told you so.

However when they apparated home the first thing Harry did was run over to Lucy's. He couldn't wait to tell her all about his magical year. Lily watched her eldest from the kitchen window and sighed turning her attention back to the enchanted plates, washing themselves. She guessed her worries were for nothing, Harry had still made wizarding friends, maybe she'd get to meet Harry's muggle friend one day. She went back to the dishes and didn't spare a thought to what Harry might learn in the company of muggles and what it could mean for the wizarding world.

* * *

 **So do we like it? Thought i try and have Harry as Snape thought he would be, like his dad: kinda arrogant and thinks he's invunerble. Reckon it's going to get darker but he's still Harry so protective and brave but it's going to be kinda twisted. Next chapter will be second year, and I'm going start writing it next weekend when exams are over (you know cause i really should be revising for my imminent exams rather than writing harry potter fanfiction :P) Please tell me what you think!**


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